What Hurricane Harvey Taught Me About Teamwork and Leadership

Hurricane Harvey taught me and reinforced so many principles on leadership and teamwork that I wanted to devote an email to it and recognize some heroes in Houston.

Here is what I saw:

Leadership is Taking Initiative

Truett Allen, a phenomenal recruiter, did not wait on anyone to take initiative rescuing Houstonians.

He saw a need and then he acted upon it.

As a result, many lives were saved and those that benefited from his bravery will forever be grateful to him.

Leaders do not wait to act. They simply see a need and create a solution for it and see it through to completion.

When the Common Goals is Understood, Magic Happens

When cleaning up a house in Katy, 11 complete strangers gathered together for one common purpose: get the house safe and dry.

Men and women took time away from their routine to give to others to accomplish a calling that was greater than themselves.

Business should be no different. When each member of the team understands the overarching goal, their role in resolving the challenge, and how it impacts others, getting the team engaged is not difficult.

No One Goes Home Until the Job is Done

Each member of the clean up crew (volunteers by the way) knew that they were not going home until the job was complete.

We were there to pick each other up and work together to finish the job. This is true teamwork at its best.

The Leader Gives Credit to the Team

If the job was done well, the leader gave credit to his team.

If the job was starting to stall or if the team members became fatigued, the leader stepped up and took it upon himself to fill in the gaps.

Great leaders always put others needs prior to their own.

Matt Fuhrman, a Katy resident, was stuck in Atlanta for the better part of the week.

However, this did not stop him from texting, calling, and posting messages on Facebook to those in need.

When he was praised for his effort, he gave credit to his team.

I am honored to be a Houstonian, and I am amazed and in awe as to how our community has stepped up to those in need.